Shingle mill



Allg. 2, E HELD 2,125,371

SHINGLE MILL Filed Aug. 29. 1936 5 Sheets-Shee1l l INVENTORA FDW/,wp 5.H540 BY r/zJ ATTORNEYS ug 2, 1938- E. s. FIELD 2,125,371

SHNGLE MILL Filed Aug. 29, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EWf/f 5. Hap

ATTORNEYS Aug., 2, 193.8.

E. S. FIELD SHINGLE MILL Filed Aug. 29. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Imnnnnun.n.nnnnnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnr INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to saw mills, and particularly the portionthereof adapted to carry the block being sawed, and mechanism thereonfor progressively advancing said block toward the saw as strips aretaken therefrom, and the primary object of the invention is theprovision of improved mechanism for alternately advancing rst one end ofthe block, then the other, for the purpose of producing shingles.

One of the important aims of the instant invention is to provide uniquemanually operable mechanism for shingle mills, which will serve tofunction with a block-carrying member in such manner as to alternatelyadvance the ends thereof for the production of shingles as a lever ofthe mechanism is oscillated.

A still further object of the invention is the provision inblock-advancing mechanism for saw mills, having uniquely disposedratchet wheels, an operating lever, check paWls for the ratchet Wheels,dogs interconnecting the lever and ratchet wheels, and a throw-outmember operable to render both the dogs and check pawls inoperative whenthe lever is moved to the extreme one end of its path of travel.

Minor objects of the invention will appear during the course of thefollowing specification, referring to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a saw mill made inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism, showing the block carriedthereby in one position.

Fig. 3 is a similar View, illustrating the block shifted to anotherposition.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevation of the operatinglever and its associated 40, mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a vertical, condensed, central, sectlonal View, taken alongline V-V of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detailed, fragmentary, sectional view, takenalong line VI-VI of Fig.

4,5` 4:, and,

Fig. 7 is a sectional View, taken along line VII-VII of Fig. 5.

The features of a saw mill embodying this invention are especiallyconstructed for the pro- 50` duction of shingles, and the partsembodying the 'invention contribute in performing the function ofalternately advancing the ends of the wooden block from which theshingles are cut. This action just mentioned and one manner of producing55;;the same is shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No.1,316,555, issued September 23, 1919, to J. F. Bell.

The improvements contemplated by this invention and exemplied by theaccompanying drawings attain the same result so far as the production ofshingles is concerned, but in a more efcient and practical manner, andthe manually operable mechanism comprises parts which render the sawmill easier to operate, more convenient to the operator, and speedier inthe production of shingles.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate similarparts throughout the several views, the numeral 8 indicates any suitablesupporting frame, having bearings lil mounted therein to journal amandrel or shaft I2 for supporting and driving saw I4. Tracks I6 and I8are along the upper side of frame 8, and a horizontally shiftable frame20 is movably mounted upon tracks I 6 and I8 through the medium ofwheels 22 and 24.

The first mentioned wheels 22 are annularly grooved, and precludelateral displacement of frame 2i) as it is being shifted to and froabove frame 8. This movement on the part of frame 2E] may be impartedthereto either by manual manipulation thereof or through the use ofsuitable, vvell known mechanical means, not here shown. Such movementcarries frame 2li past saw I4 and the Work of producing shingles isthereby assisted.

Frame 2l) should be constructed of metal or other suitable strong andrigid material, and a pair of parallel, longitudinally slidable racks 26and 28 are carried by frame 20 for rectilinear reciprocation in adirection transverse to the path of travel of frame 20. A block-carryingmember or head 3i! is in connection with the ends of racks 26 and 28through the medium of like bolts 32 and 34 and brace 36. Bolts 32 and 34establish a pivotal connection between head 3l) and the respective racks26 and 28, and the axis of rotation is a vertical one, always remainingin a line perpendicular to the horizontal planes of racks 26 and 28.

Head 30 is especially formed to hold a block of wood 38 in a mannergraphically illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The means for holding thisblock 38 for movement with head 38 comprises a pair of jaws 40, eachhaving a bearing 42 in screw-threaded engagement with threaded shaft 44,which is journalled for rotation in bearings 4S. This shaft 44 has asuitable crank or similar means 48 so that it may be rotated in eitherdirection for the purpose of moving jaws 4U toward and from each otherand therefore to and from engagement with the ends of block 38. Theinturned portions of jaws 4|] may be sharpened to grip the ends of block33, if desired. A central bearing journals shaft 44 at a pointintermediate its ends and the threads formed on shaft 44 are right andleft screw threads, so that as shaft 44 is turned in one direction, jaws4|) will be moved toward or from each other, depending upon thedirection of rotation.

A spring 52 has one of its ends in connection with head 3|?. The otherend of spring 52 is affixed to frame 20 and a constant pull is thereforeexerted 'upon head 30 at all times. This pull is in a direction awayfrom saw M and opposed to the direction of movement imparted to head 3Gby the hereinafter described manually operable mechanism. An idlerpinion 54, mounted upon shaft 55, is in mesh with rack 28, and pinion58, mounted upon shaft 60 for rotation therewith is, in turn, in meshwith idler pinion 54. Shaft 6|] extends transversely across-above racks26 and 28, and is journalled in bearings E2, E4 and 66, all securedtoframe 2G. Pinion 68 is in mesh with rack 2E and integral with innerratchet wheel As Fig. 5 illustrates, pinion and ratchet wheel 63 and Hlare free to move about the axis of shaft 6i), yet are supported therebyso as to be in axial alignment with outer ratchet wheel i2, which isrigidly secured to shaft 50 through the medium of set screw or analogousmeans 1li. It will be observed from Fig. 1 that the teeth of ratchetwheel l@ are facing a direction opposite to the teeth of ratchet wheel12, and that each ratchet wheel'lil and 'l2 is engaged by a yield-- abledog 'iii and 'I8 respectively, mounted upon lever 8U, that is freelycarried by shaft 5i) for oscillation about its longitudinal axis.Springs 82 and |34.` urge dogs 76 and '|8 respectively into engagementwith the teeth of ratchet wheels 'l0 and 'l2 respectively, as lever 8Sis osciliated about the axis of shaft $0. Therefore, as lever 8i) ismoved in one direction, one of the ratchet wheels will be driven, whilethe other is idle, and as lever 8D is moved in the opposite direction,the other ratchet will be driven as the remaining ratchet wheel isstationary. Trigger 85 engages behind heads formed on dogs 'i6 and 'l sothat both of said dogs may be withdrawn from engagement with wheels 'illand 'i2 when desired.

Check pawls 85 and 88, supported by a bracket 90, mounted upon frame 2d,engage the teeth of v ratchet wheels 'lil and 'l2 respectively so as tolimit their movement to but one direction. These check pawls have pins92, extending inwardly toward each other for the hereinafter describedpurpose, and springs 9@ and 96 are associated with pawls '66 and 38 toyieldably maintain the same in engagement with the toothed peripheriesof wheels FEB and l2 respectively.

Bracket S0 pivotally supports a throw-out element 98 of uniqueconstruction. The upper portion of this element is provided with a pairof opposed cam faces illil and |02, which terminate in notches |94 and|96 respectively. Laterally extending pins m8 and |||l are carried bydogs 15 and i8 respectively, and when lever t!) is moved to the extremelimit of its path of travel in one direction, thess pins |08 and engagecam faces im) and |02 and travel thereover to positions within notchesHifi and |66. The spring detent ||2 engages lever 8@ when the latterreaches the end of its path of travel and when the lever so engaged bydetent ||2, lever 80 l which supports the adjustable screw |22.

will be in the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. and element 98will be moved down around its pivotal connection H4 with bracket 90.Such movement carries tongue ||6 against pins 92 of check pawls 86 andS3 so that they too are moved to positions out of engagement with wheels'IEB and i12 respectively. Thus the positioning of lever di? againstmovement at one end of its path of travel will completely disengage dogs76 and 'i8 and pawls 86 and 88.

Means is provided for limiting the travel of leverV Bt, and since theamount of oscillation that can be imparted to lever 6i! determines thethickness of shingle being cut, this adjustment is a critical one andimportant. A segment ||8, carried by frame 2Q, provided with an ear |20This ear and screw l2@ and |22 are in the path of travel of lever 80 andconstitute a stop at one end of said path of travel. A block |24,s-lidably mounted upon segment H8, and having a laterally extending bolti26 supported thereby, selectively forms the abutment for lever 3i] atthe other end of its path of travel. This bolt |26 is secured in placecross bore |28, and block |213 is likewise rigidly fastened to segment||8 by a set screw E32. Moving block |24 along segment H8 obviously willdetermine the length of the path of travel of lever Sil from bolt |26 toset screw |22. It is also clear that when it is desired to move lever3|) into detent H2, bolt |26 may be quickly withdrawn from the path oftravel of lever 8B.

Operation Head 35 must be advanced with each movement of lever 8dwithout backward travel. When lever 8i? is moved in the direction of thearrow in Fig. 2, inner ratchet wheel 'it is rotated about the axis ofshaft di), pinion S8, integral with ratchet wheel lil, moves rack 26forwardly so as to advance one end of head Sil to the position shown indotted lines of Fig'. 2. Lever 8|) is then against bolt |25 and checkpawl 85 is moved inwardly against one tooth of wheel lt. Frame 20 isthen moved toward saw |4 and a shingle of the form indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 2 is cut from block 38.

Immediately thereafter lever St moved over against stop E22. Suchmovement does not disturb wheel '55, but rotates outer ratchet wheel 'l2and, therewith, shaft pinion 58, and idler pinion 52. Such action movesrack 28 and therefore, head forwardly to the position shown in dottedlines of Fig. 3. Check pawl 88 has snapped into one of the teeth ofwheel 'F2 and frame 20 is moved past saw |4 to cut from block 38 ashingle of the form shown in dotted lines of Fig. 3. Such action isrepeated until all of block 38 has been cut away, and when block 38 hasbeen reduced to a size where no longer can be advanced to be engaged bysaw i4, lever 8G is moved to place behind detent H2, all means ofholding wheels it and l2 are thereby released, and spring 52 draws head3Q back to a point of beginning where another block may be attachedthereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In a shingle mill, having Va block-carrying member, a pair ofparallel, longitudinally slidable racks pivotaily secured to theblock-carrying member, feed mechanism comprising pinions in mesh witheach rack respectively; a shaft extending across the pair of racks; .apair of ratchet Cil Wheels mounted on said shaft adjacent one of saidracks; a lever freely mounted on the shaft and oscillatable about theaxis of the latter; and a pair of dogs carried by the lever inengagement with the ratchet wheels respectively to alternately drive thesame when the lever is oscillated, one of said pinions being integralwith one of said ratchet wheels and free to rotate about the shafttherewith as the lever1 is moved in one direction to drive the ratchetWheel, the other of said ratchet wheels being secured to said shaft torotate the same when the lever is moved in the other direction, theother of said pinions being secured to said shaft for rotationtherewith, said last mentioned pinion having an idler pinion in meshtherewith and in mesh with the other of said racks.

2. In a shingle mill, having a block-carrying member, a pair ofparallel, longitudinally slidable racks pivotally secured to theblock-carrying member, feed mechanism comprising pinions in mesh witheach rack respectively; a shaft extending across the pair of racks; apair of ratchet wheels mounted on said shaft adjacent one of said racks;a lever freely mounted on the shaft and oscillatable about the axis ofthe latter; and a pair of dogs carried by the lever in engagement withthe ratchet wheels respectively to alternately drive the same when thelever is oscillated, one of said pinions being integral with one of saidratchet wheels and free to rotate about the shaft therewith as the leveris moved in one direction to drive the ratchet Wheel, the other of saidratchet wheels being secured to said shaft to rotate the same when thelever is moved in the other direction, the other of said pinions beingsecured to said shaft for rotation therewith, said last mentioned pinionhaving an idler pinion in mesh therewith and in mesh with the other ofsaid racks, the teeth of one ratchet wheel having their faces disposedin a direction opposite to the faces of the teeth of the other ratchetwheel to permit the dog of one ratchet wheel to ride thereover when thedog of the other ratchet wheel is serving to move its ratchet wheel.

3. In a mill of the character described, having a pair of parallel,longitudinally slidable racks, a' block-carrying member pivotallysecured to each of said racks, and pinions in mesh with each of saidracks respectively, feed mechanism for a1- ternately driving the pinionsin the same direction to alternately advance the racks in the samedirection, comprising ratchet wheels in connection with each pinionrespectively, a lever oscillatable about the axis of said ratchetwheels, dogs carried by the lever in engagement with the ratchet wheelsrespectively to alternately rotate the ratchet wheels in oppositedirections as the lever is oscillated, a pair of check pawls inengagement respectively with the ratchet wheels to preclude theirrotation in directions opposite to the directions traveled when thelever acts thereon, and means for simultaneously moving all the dogs andsaid check pawls from engagement with the ratchet wheels when the leveris moved to one end of its path of travel.

4. In a mill of the character described, having a pair of parallel,longitudinally slidable racks, a block-carrying member pivotally securedto each of said racks, and pinions in mesh with each of said racksrespectively, feed mechanism for alternately driving the pinions in thesame direction to alternately advance the racks in the same direction,comprising ratchet wheels in connection with each pinion respectively, alever oscillatable about the axis of said ratchet wheels, dogs carriedby the lever in engagement with the ratchet wheels respectively toalternately rotate the ratchet wheels in opposite directions as thelever is oscillated, a pair of check pawls in engagement respectivelywith the ratchet wheels to preclude their rotation in directionsopposite to the directions traveled when the lever acts thereon, and athrow-out cam engageable with the said dogs to simultaneously withdrawthe same from engagement with the ratchet wheels when the lever is movedto one end of its path of travel.

5. In a mill of the character described, having a pair of parallel,longitudinally slidable racks, a block-carrying member pivotally securedto each of said racks, and pinions in mesh with each of said racksrespectively, feed mechanism for alternately driving the pinions in thesame direction to alternately advance the racks in the same direction,comprising ratchet wheels in connection with each pinion respectively, alever oscillatable about the axis of said ratchet wheels, dogs carriedby the lever in engagement with the ratchet wheels respectively toalternately rotate the ratchet wheels in opposite directions as thelever is oscillated, a pair of check pawls in engagement respectivelywith the ratchet wheels to preclude their rotation in directionsopposite to the directions traveled when the lever acts thereon, and athrow-out cam engageable with the said dogs to simultaneously withdrawthe same from engagement with the ratchet wheels when the lever is movedto one end of its path of travel, said throw-out cam having a tonguethereon for moving' the check pawls from engagement with the ratchetwheel as the dogs are so withdrawn.

6. In a mill of the character described, having a pair of parallel,longitudinally slidable racks, a block-carrying member pivotally securedto each of said racks, and pinions in mesh with each of said racksrespectively, feed mechanism for alternately driving the pinions in thesame direction to alternately advance the racks in the same direction,comprising ratchet wheels in connection with each pinion respectively, alever oscillatable about the axis of said ratchet wheels, dogs carriedby the lever in engagement with the ratchet wheels respectively toalternately rotate the ratchet wheels in opposite directions as thelever is oscillated, a pair of check pawls in engagement respectivelywith the ratchet wheels to preclude their rotation in directionsopposite to the directions traveled when the lever acts thereon, and athrow-out cam engageable with the said dogs to simultaneously withdrawthe same from engagement with the ratchet wheels when the lever is movedto one end of its path of travel, said throw-out cam having a tonguethereon for moving the check pawls from engagement with the ratchetwheel as the dogs are so withdrawn, there being a detent to hold thelever at said one end of its path of travel with the dogs and checkpawls in the inoperative position whereby the ratchet wheels are free tomove about their axes.

EDWARD S. FIELD.

